Police recover knife, arrest 2 after FedEx Field fight | News

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LANDOVER, Md. (WUSA9) Two people were arrested and a knife was recovered after a violent confrontation between fans caught on video inside FedEx Field during the Washington Redskins loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football.

"There was no stabbing. This was a fight, " Christina Cotterman, a spokesman for the Prince George's County Police Department said.

"A knife is going way too far," said Mike Vaughn, who shot the video and posted it to his Facebook page after believing he'd witnessed a stabbing. "I didn't feel safe at all. I wanted out of there."

The victim in this incident was not actually stabbed and police said they don’t know who the knife belonged to. Regardless, the incident raises questions about how a knife cleared security at FedEx and fan behavior and safety.

"If a knife can get through security this time, who's to say it couldn't be a gun next time," Vaughn said.

Vaughn says he attends 4 to 6 games a year at FedEx Field and that Monday night's violence was the worst he'd ever encountered. Vaughn claimed he witnessed as many as 20 violent encounters between Redskins and Cowboys fans, including a fight that broke out in the seat next to him. Vaughn said he never saw security guards eject anyone.

Police reported eight arrests at FedEx Field during the game but said not all arrests were related to assaults or violent behavior.

The number of arrests was "about average for a game of this type," Cotterman said.

The nighttime game featured a close contest between division rivals the Washington Redskins against the Dallas Cowboys.

In a statement, the Redskins said the team is cooperating with police and that fan safety is their top priority. The full statement is below:

Last night, an altercation took place between two fans following the game at FedEx Field. Neither fan was seriously injured and reports of use of a weapon are inaccurate, according to the Prince George’s Police Department and the FedEx Field security detail who responded to the incident. The team is cooperating fully with all authorities to determine the exact nature of the incident.

It is important to know that the safety of all patrons is our topmost concern. Currently, all fans and staff entering FedEx Field are subject to security screening that includes the use of metal detectors as well as visual inspections. All fans are also screened for signs of impairment.

Unruly or other disruptive behavior is not tolerated and our policies and procedures ensure that fans not abiding by these standards are subject to immediate ejection from the premises. Fans fighting are arrested and are banned from attending future events at FedEx Field. If they attempt to attend another event then they will be charged with trespassing.

We are continuing the investigation into last night’s events, and rigorously working to ensure the safety and security of all patrons.